Cleaning Tips

How to Clean Marks Off Walls with Flat Paint

A dingy, scuffed wall can be quite unattractive. By cleaning the walls as well as other parts of the room, you’ll be making the place feel and look more appealing. However, bear in mind that walls with flat paint need to be well cared for. You don’t want to be too vigorous when scrubbing flat paint as that could wear down the finish, making for an unpleasant appearance. As such, it’s important to learn how to clean marks off walls with flat paint.

How to Clean Marks Off Walls with Flat Paint

In this article, we’ll highlight how to clean marks off walls with flat paint. It’s a simple step by step process that will have your walls clean and spotless in no time.

Find Out If You Have Flat Paint

Before starting the cleaning process, confirm that you have flat paint walls. This doesn’t refer to the texture of the walls but rather that the wall is a matte finish. Since flat paint doesn’t reflect light, it’s ideal for hiding imperfections in accent walls and ceilings. If your walls don’t reflect light at all, even from an angle and have 0-10 percent gloss, it’s safe to say they have flat paint.

Cleaning Supplies

How to Clean Marks Off Walls with Flat Paint

A household tip to consider is always having cleaning essentials in your home. Here are some of the cleaning supplies you’ll need to gather for cleaning flat paint walls:

  • Cloth or Sponge
  • Touch up Paints and Paintbrush
  • Detergent
  • Foam Cleanser
  • Eraser Sponge
  • White Vinegar

Cleaning Flat Paint Walls

First things first, be sure to clean dirt and stains from flat paint as quickly as possible. The longer you ignore the stains, the harder they are to clean. Here are a few tips for removing scuff marks, smears and smudges from flat paint walls:

Start the cleaning process by rubbing the wall with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Sometimes plain water will do the trick and remove all stains, allowing you to avoid cleaning products. This will likely work if you deal with stains as soon as you see them.

How to Clean Marks Off Walls with Flat Paint

If plain water doesn’t work, consider adding vinegar to the damp cloth or sponge and scrub the walls gently. If vinegar doesn’t remove the stain entirely, you can try removing problematic spots with an eraser sponge. This gentle cleaning product should remove stubborn stains without damaging the paint. If you still have the original wall paint, you can use a painter’s brush to touch up the stained spot. Alternatively, repaint the entire wall with a new, more durable sheen.

For especially stubborn stains, our team here at Maids and Moore will ensure your home is squeaky clean with no marks on the walls.

Bottom Line

With these few tips, you now know how to clean marks off walls with flat paint. Remember that a professional cleaning company will have the right equipment, training and experience to keep your home looking and feeling fresh and clean. Our team is capable of tackling all types of stubborn stains and other household chores.

Tagged , , , , ,

How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink – How do you keep water spots off stainless steel sink?

If you have a stainless-steel sink or appliance, chances are you’ve experienced stains or water spots a time or two. These water spots or stains can really make your sinks and appliances look dull and grimy.  But you don’t have to worry anymore if you know a few tips on how to prevent water spots on stainless steel sink.

How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink

How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink
How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink

A great way of keeping your house clean in making sure the kitchen sink remains spotless. In this post, we’ll point out a few tips on how to prevent and get rid of water spots on your stainless steel sink and appliances. The methods outlined are easy and you probably already have the items needed in your pantry.

Water spots are primarily caused by hard mineral-rich water and getting rid of them can be a bit of a hassle. But with the right technique, you can have your sinks and appliances fresh and shiny in no time. The most important factor to bear in mind is that dealing with water spots is not a one-off cleaning project. You need to keep up with the removal process to ensure your sink and appliances stay clean and shiny.

Removing and Preventing Water Spots from Stainless Steel Sinks

Ingredients

Steps

  • Start by cleaning and rinsing the sink. Be sure to clean around the outer sides as well as the handles
  • Pour some white distilled vinegar in a spray bottle then spray it all over the sink. Give the vinegar for about five minutes to work its magic and get rid of those stubborn water spots.
  • Next, sprinkle some baking soda all over the sink. You can expect it to fizz a little.
  • Start removing the water spots by scrubbing the sink with a soft sponge or cloth
  • Repeat the process as needed until you’ve removed all the water spots.

Note: if you’ve carried out some major buildup, say around the handles or anywhere else, just cover the area or wrap around the handles with a damp cloth, and pour some vinegar on top, then let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. This will help to break down any build-up. You can repeat the process until you’ve removed all the residue.

Removing Water Spots from Stainless Steel Appliances

This method is quite efficient, just make sure to buff the appliance really well once you’re done, to prevent the oil from causing a build-up over time.

Ingredients

  • Microfiber cloth
  • Soft paper towel
  • Olive oil

Steps

How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink
How to Prevent Water Spots on Stainless Steel Sink
  • Fold your paper towel into half then apply a small amount of olive oil onto it – about a nickel to a quart-sized amount. Make sure it soaks in all over the paper towel by squishing it around. 
  • Start with the top of the appliance and move with the grain
  • Wipe away any excess oil using the paper towel or grab a new one for this
  • Then remove any oil buildup by buffing your appliance really well with a microfiber cloth.

Bottom Line

Cleaning a messy house can be exhausting but the steps above will help ease your stress. The step-by-step methods mentioned above show you a few tips on how to prevent water spots on stainless steel sink as well as appliances. Stay up on cleaning these stainless-steel surfaces often, to help eliminate water spots as much as you can. Even if you have soft water, water spots can still occur over time, so you need to be proactive. For more information about keeping your stainless steel appliances spotless and your home clean and tidy, our experts here at Maids and Moore can assist you. 

Tagged , , , ,

Automated Window Cleaner

What are the important points to consider when buying an automatic window cleaner? To answer that question, you must first understand the basics. For one, a robotic window cleaner combines window cleaning technology with auto movements to clean. With the use of magnets and motor suction technology, the cleaner sticks to the windows. From there it will automatically clean your windows – from all edges. Below are some features in your home to consider before using an automated window cleaner.

The Type Of Glass

Automated Window Cleaner

First, you should consider the kind of glass surface your windows are made of. On one hand, there are models for cleaning uneven surfaces and rough glass surfaces. On the other hand, other models only clean those glossy and smooth surfaces. Is the window surface textured, frosted, filmed or patterned? Whichever the case, you must choose an auto window cleaner that can clean that specific glass surface.

Window Thickness

Besides the glass surface, you should also consider how thick your windows are. Every robot has a certain thickness it can clean. Hence, ensure you accurately measure the thickness of your window. Once you do, select a robotic cleaner that matches that thickness.

Window Shape

An auto window cleaner can only clean large windows that are square shaped. So if the shape of your window is circular or small, then do not buy a robotic cleaner.

Suctions or Magnetic Connectivity

Another point to consider is how the robotic cleaner connects – either magnetic or through suctions. If you go for a cleaner with a motor-powered suction, then you just need to place it on one side. Alternatively, for magnetic connectivity, you must strategically place another magnetic item on the opposite side of the window being cleaned. Each of these options has its benefits and drawbacks. For a motor-powered suction auto cleaner, often times it loses its connection and falls. Hence, you should get a security cord to make sure the auto cleaner stays put.

The Process Of Cleaning

Different robots use different processes of cleaning but most of them use brushes or pads. To make sure the glass surface is streak free and spotless; the robots feature a drying item like a squeegee. How many brushes or pads an auto cleaner has depends on its model. But in most cases, a robotic cleaner features a 2-step process. The first one is to wipe the dirt off and the other is to polish the window. Automated window cleaners have sensors that will tell them when they have reached an edge of the window. The automated technology makes sure the window is being cleaned edge-to-edge, and lets you know when it has finished cleaning.

Conclusion

Though an automatic window cleaner is very convenient, you should consider all these points before you buy one. This is to make sure that you get the right product for your needs. Automatic window cleaners utilize technology to make sure your window is entirely cleaned when it finishes. They are ideal not only for cleaning those hard-to-reach edges but for doing so effectively.

Tagged ,

Preparing for the Holidays

In less than a week, extended family will be parking on your sofas and recliners, utilizing your facilities, and bringing dishes and platters from infinity and beyond.  Here are a few pointers to help you prepare for your families’ arrival and feast.
2aa
1. Forget the space that Tupperware takes up in the fridge. After your festive holiday meals, grab gallon sized and quart sized zip lock baggies instead. This saves space in the fridge and eliminates additional clean up once all the scrumptious left overs are gone.

2. Ahead of time, set out the pretty platters you want to use to display your gourmet cuisines on. Use clear saran wrap to cover the dish to make for an easy clean up.

3. Prepare the guest bathroom.  First, gather all personal items from the bathroom. In place leave fluffy clean towels, wash cloths, and hand towels. Stock up on toilet paper, a new tube of tooth paste and even some new spare tooth brushes. A new bottle of body wash goes further than a bar of soap and 2 in 1 shampoo saves your out of town guests from having to run to the local drug store last minute.

1aa
4. Kid proof your home.  Put all valuables up for safe keeping and designate a room or area in your home as a play area for kids and all of their toys.

5. The Sniff Test. Did you know you can’t discern the true scent of your own home because you are used to it? That makes it tricky to know how your house really smells. But here are our best tips for making sure your house smells GOOD:

*Wash everyone’s bedding. Give animals a bath. Take out the trash and clean litter boxes and animal cages. Again, those things stink even if YOU cannot smell them. Grab your favorite room deodorizer and light a candle!  Of course the aroma of your favorite desserts will also be filling the air. Clean your kitchen and bathrooms thoroughly, using great smelling cleaning supplies. Vacuum carpets and dust furniture — dirt stinks! Of course you can always just call Maids and Moore and we can help create some time in your busy schedule. Call us today to reserve your spot at 1-844-GOT-DUST.

maids4web

Tagged , ,

Vacuum Maintenance

As Maids and Moore Cleaning Service as you could already conclude, we utilize our Vacuum almost for everything that our job entails. From cleaning your hardwood and carpet floors to vacuuming those hairy overhead wood beams or even cleaning for our furry friends.

Our vacuums are our best friends they ensure that we get our job done right. Without our vacuums we would not be able to clean the dust bunnies deep under the beds and the forever rolling tumble weed of hair (animal/human) that just rolls from one place to the next. You see although brooms are great they do however just push the dirt and hair around and into the air. As where our vacuums suck up and pick up the hair and dirt so we can as Maids and Moore says, “take the dirt with us”. We would not want to leave all of the dirt from your kitchen just swept in the air and settled back under, on, or around your house. So you see our vacuums are the key to our maids success.

With the usage of our machines comes alto of dust, dirt, and grime. So to better serve quality in your homes and business’ we have to have good and clean running machines. To ensure this our maids perform routine vacuum maintenance’s. When doing so we find anything from hair on the rollers to dust balls in the tubes, not to mention the grey dusty filters. So by being on a routine schedule of cleaning and maintaining our vacuums, as well as cleaning them as needed from clean to clean, we are able to provide quality services.

Vacuum maintenance doesn’t just help us with our quality but it also prolongs the life of our vacuum. You see it requires the filters, bags, and belts to be replaced frequently. Not to mention how dirty the outside of machines get. One could take a look at our hard working girls and quickly tell just how dirty we can get. From the tires to the hoses, even the inside compartments all must be cleaned and sanitized regularly.

As I said before our vacuum is our best friend it makes our job easier and better and when it feels good we feel good. All vacuums should be respected with care and just like humans it needs attention daily. After all it does the dirty work for us. So don’t forget to pop the wheels, clean the undercarriage, and refill its service parts.

by Rebecca Rose , GM for Bell/Coryell County Maids and Moore

vacuum

IMG_0057a

Austin Vacuum Maint. Maid 2

repair vacuum

Tagged

Maids and Moore Cleaning Video Playlist

Tagged , , ,

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Getting tired of not being able to do your house cleaning as much as you’d like? What about walking on your hardwood floor and noticing all the dirt, sand, dust, and grit that will harm your hardwood floor over time. If your floors are looking iffy, why not give Maids and Moore a call and let us make your day ‘shine’ because Maids and Moore always has the solution for you!

Hardwood floors are classic and beautiful, but if you don’t take care of them, you’ll be left with dull, marked floors that don’t do anything but add value to your home. Therefore, to extend the life of your home, you must learn how to clean hardwood floors, which is why we made this video on this very subject for you.

Here’s a great, quick tip on the best ways to clean your hardwood floors and make them shine like new:

Grab yourself a spray bottle filled with 1/8 vinegar, 7/8 water, and a drop of dawn. Spray a portion of your hardwood floor, then grab your Microfiber Dry Mop and mop the floor wherever you sprayed it. It is very important to mop WITH the grain instead of against the grain because smearing may occur on the floors. Then you can sit back and enjoy your good as new hardwood floor.

Oh, what’s that I hear, you don’t have enough time to mop your hardwood floors properly, then this is when you pick up the phone and call Maids and Moore at 512-731-2145 or just visit our website www.maidsandmoore.com for awesome residential maid cleaning services around the Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, and surrounding areas. Maids and Moore will not let you down!

Tagged , , ,

Vinegar as your All-Purpose House Cleaner?

Vinegar is commonly used for culinary purposes but we barely used vinegar on our foods. This maybe the case, but many people are not aware that vinegar can be also a powerful cleaning agent.  Nevertheless, there’s only one type of vinegar that you can use to make your house spotless and that is, distilled vinegar. I needed to point this out, as they are several types of vinegar that you can find at your local grocery store.

It has been tested and proven that distilled vinegar can be a better replacement to chemically-based cleaning products that we normally use. Other than that, there are also eco-friendly benefits to using vinegar when it comes to cleaning your house. Before we jump in to the benefits, I will discuss further how you can use distilled vinegar as your all-purpose house cleaner.

There are many ways to clean your house with vinegar. You can start cleaning your house with vinegar by buying yourself a spray bottle that will hold your vinegar. Once you have stored your cleaning vinegar to the appropriate container, then you can start the cleaning process.  You can use vinegar to deodorise a room that has a foul odour that never goes away, no matter how much you spent on air-fresheners and room sprays.

Other proven use of vinegar is, you can dilute vinegar with cleaning detergent to get rid of really tough stains on your carpet, walls, windows, bathroom tiles and even your own clothes. Vinegar possesses acetic acid that has the ability to break down stains. However, the stains doesn’t go away in a snap. You will need to soak the stained object with vinegar and detergent for a couple of minutes and simply wipe the stain away. By doing this, you will be able to save time scrubbing off stains that will likely to test your patience or temper and save money on expensive stain removers that does not actually work immediately as they were advertised.

As you can tell, vinegar is not only for cooking. You can obviously save a lot of money from buying cleaning products that contain harmful chemicals and get better results if you choose to switch to cleaning with vinegar. If you are being unsuccessful cleaning with chemicals, then I highly suggest for you clean the organic and effective way with the use of vinegar.

 

Tagged , ,

How to Clean Stainless Steel

Home remedy, all natural non-toxic, for cleaning stainless:

maid-service-austinStainless steel appliances add a wonderful spice to any kitchen. Unfortunately, we feel as if it’s attracted to finger smudges and other dull looking blemishes. We’ve all been complaining about our nasty, spotty stainless steel appliances for a while now, yet, we still keep on purchasing these stainless steel appliances and adding them to our kitchen. It’s a never ending cycle for us. Luckily, our awesome residential house cleaning maids in the Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, and other surrounding areas have found this great tip in polishing stainless steel appliances by just using olive oil. Here is a quick overview on how to clean stainless steel appliances and make them look as if they’ve just been bought.

Stainless steel is very porous, and needs moisture, BUT NO WATER or Windex. If water gets into the pores of stainless then the stainless can rust. It Needs oil. We like to compare it to a person who has dry skin. They have to moisturize it so the lotion or oil can soak into their pores and BAM their skin is soft and appears very healthy. Stainless steel is the same way.

How-To-Clean-SteelThere are many natural oils you can use on Stainless appliances for when you decide to do some housecleaning, but our Maids and Moore maids like to use Olive Oil because it is a very common pantry item. Take a microfiber cloth, or soft cloth, and saturate a “quarter size” with olive oil. Wipe with the grain of the stainless, and repeat until stainless is nice and shiny. You May need to reapply olive oil to the rag several times.

Although; I am not discouraging the use of “stainless steel market products”, because a lot of them are very good products, just make sure that you choose one that has an oily base. The stainless steel wipes do not have enough moisture and tend to leave streaks. Olive Oil can be pricey and it may be more cost effective to use a “market product”, but if you are in a pinch, don’t forget about the Olive oil in the pantry.

This tip is an easy and simple way to clean because you won’t run into random chemicals that are almost always found in regular house cleaning products that leave stray marks on your appliances. Also, since olive oil is used by many to cook and you already have some in your pantry, then it most likely helps with money spending.

Tagged , ,

Stainless Steel Home Remedy

Home remedy, all natural non-toxic, for cleaning stainless:
Before/After Olive Oil cleaning pictures[/caption]Stainless steel is very pores, and needs moisture, BUT NO WATER or Windex. If water gets into the pours of stainless then the stainless can rust. It needs oil. I like to compare it to a person how has dry skin, they have to moisturize it so the lotion or oils can soak into their pores and BAM their skin is soft and appears very healthy. Stainless is the same way. There are many natural oils you can use on Stainless, but I like to use Olive Oil because it is a common pantry item. Take a micro-fiber cloth, or soft cloth, and saturate a “quarter size” with olive oil. Wipe with the grain of the stainless, and repeat until stainless is nice a shiny. You may need to reapply olive oil to rag several times.

I am not discouraging the use “stainless steel market products”, because a lot of them are very good products. Just make sure that you choose one that has an oily base. The stainless steel wipes do not have enough moisture and tend to leave streaks. Olive Oil can be pricey and it may be more cost effective to use a “market product”, but if you are in a pinch, don’t forget about the Olive oil in the pantry.

Tagged , ,